Career
Engine and other machine assemblers
Assemble engines and machines.
$53,710
Median pay
-17.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
2,100
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Read and interpret assembly blueprints or specifications manuals, and plan assembly or building operations.
- Inspect, operate, and test completed products to verify functioning, machine capabilities, or conformance to customer specifications.
- Position or align components for assembly, manually or using hoists.
- Set and verify parts clearances.
- Verify conformance of parts to stock lists or blueprints, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Read and interpret assembly blueprints or specifications manuals, and plan assembly or building operations.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $53,710 a year and 2,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Engine MachinistCIP 47.0615
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380 · -5.6%
- Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers$56,210 · +4.4%
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics$64,520 · +17.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.